Vending machine



Sept. 5, 1933. J. c. GURATH ET AL VENDING MACHINE Filed Jung 22, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 THEIR ATTORNEYS Sept. 5, 1933. J. c. GURATH ET AL.

VENDING MACHINE Filed June 22, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 THEIR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 22, 1932.

Serial No. 618.762

6 Claims. (Cl. S12-63) This invention relates to certain novel improvements in vending machines, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved article-vending machine.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved coin-controlled article vending machine. A

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists of the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention willy be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

u Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of a preferred form of the invention with a part of the cabinet broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View on line 3 3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional viewpon line 4 4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is asectionalview on line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View on line 6 6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. '7 is a side elevational view of theV coin control embodied in the invention.

In the preferred form of the invention shown in the drawings l() generally indicates a cabinet or casing Within which may be arranged one or more article-storage magazines 11 adapted to receive articles 13 through their upper ends 12. The bottom of each magazine 11 is provided by a tiltable dispensing member 14. Each of these tiltable dispensing members 14 is pivotally mounted at 15 on the corresponding magazine 11.

1 Each dispensing member 14 includes an ,upper inclined article-supporting shelf 19 and a lower, normally horizontal element 16 therebelow. Each element 16 is provided With slots 17 and through each of these slots 1'7 projects an article ejecting ringer 18. These ejecting ngers 18 project above the element 16 'of the dispensing member 14 and along side the article-supporting shelf 19.

Each article-supporting shelf 19 has its upper end 70 bearing on an inclined upper end portion of a bracket 4l that is attached to the rear wall of cabinet 10, and each shelf 19 has an angled lower end (Fig. 5) which is projected through a slot in the corresponding element 16. Theshelf 19 and element 16 of each dispensing unit 14 are urged toward each other by a spring 73.

The ejecting ngers`l8 are arranged in pairs and each pair of the same is formed as part of an ejecting member 74 that is pivotally mounted 60 on a shaft 20 arranged below the corresponding Vmagazine 11. Adapted to engage each ejecting member 18 to urge the saine (counterclockwise Fig. 2) against the action of a spring 21 is a pivotal lever 22. These levers 22 and the shafts 65 20 are mounted on brackets 4l suspended from the magazines 11.

Formed on the front end of each dispensing member 14 is a depending flange or apron 23 and projecting laterally or horizontally forwardly 70 from each of these aprons 23 is an ear or lug 24.

Extending horizontally across the cabinet 10 in front of the magazines 11 is a coin-controlled rock shaft 25 on which is a hand knob 26. Mounted on the shaft 25 are spaced cams 27. A coin control device, (Figs. 5 and 7), to be described hereinafter, is associated with the rock shaft 25, and when' a suitable coin is inserted into the coin chute 46 the shaft 25 may be rocked (clockwise Fig. 2) causing a cam 27 to bear on the ear portion 24 of one of the tiltable dispensing members 14, thereby tilting the same dispensing member 14 (counterclockwise Fig. 2). As the dispensing member 14 is thus tilted the depending apron 23 thereof engages the corresponding pivotal lever 22 therebelow and the lever 22 is thereby rocked (counterclockwise Fig. 2) into engagement with the member '74; causing the ejecting fingers 18 of member 74 to move (counterclockwise Fig. 2) in the slots 17, While, at the same time, the inclined 90 article-supporting shelf portion 19 of the actuated dispensing member 14 is being tilted (counterclockwise Fig. 2). The ejecting fingers 18 thus engage the lov/ermost article 13 in the stack of 95 the same in the magazine 11 and eject the lowermost article 13 off the inclined shelf 1.9 onto the inclined dispensing chute 28 which opens to the exterior of the cabinet 10 through a slot 42.

Pivotally attached to each tiltable dispensing 100 member 14, at 29, is a lever 30 which has a horizontallyV extending angled upper 'end portion 31. This portion 31 rides the inclined face 32 of a member 33, one of which is pivotally mounted at 43 on the front of each magazine 11. Each mem- 105 ber 33 has a horizontallyY angled end 34 which is adapted to he'projected into themagazine 11 below the bottom of the front wall thereof and above the inclined shelf 19. As the `tiltable dispensing member 14 and its apron 23 are tilted counter- 110 clockwise (Fig. 2), by engagement of a cam 27 on rock shaft 25 with a corresponding portion 24, the member 30 is depressed, against the action of a spring 35, and the angled end portion 31 of member 30 rides down the inclined face 32 of member 33, thereby rocking member 33 counterclockwise, Fig. 2, and urging the horizontally extending angled lower end portion 34 of the latter into the magazine 11 above the lowermost article 13 in the stack, thus supporting the stack of articles in the magazine while the lowermost article 13 thereof is being dispensed onto the chute 28.

Pivotally mounted at 36 on each magazine 1l is a latch member 37 which works in a guide 38u Each guide 38 has a portion 40 that is secured to the magazine 1l and each member 37 has a latching head 39 that is adapted to engage this portion 40 if an unauthorized attempt is made to insert a tool through dispensing outlet 42, above the chute 28, to depress a dispensing member 14. Each latching member 37 includes an arm 41 which has an angled end portion 44. When the rock shaft 25 is rocked clockwise (Fig. 4) during the article dispensing operation, as hereinbefore described, a cam 27 on the rock shaft 25 engages and pressesvdown on the angled end portion 44 of one of the latching members 37, thereby pivoting the latching member 37 counterclockwise (Fig. 2) at 36 and disengaging the latching head 39 thereof from the portion 40 of guide 38.

The cams 27 are so arranged onV rock shaft 25 relative to each other that only one cam and one dispensing unit 14 are operated at each movement of rock shaft 25; that is the shaft 25 .is always rocked clockwise (Fig. 2) and byreason of the arrangement of the cams 27 the articles 13 are dispensed alternately rst from one magazine 11 and then from the other so that both or all magazines may be emptied before the cabinet .need be opened to refill the magazines.

yis carried by each member 32.

The coin chute 46 is supported by the wall 48 of the cabinet 10. A magnet 49 is arranged at the bottom of the chute 46 to attract slugs and slidably mounted on onel arm of the magnet 49 is a sleeve 50. Pivotally connected at 51 to the sleeve 50 is a link 52 which in turn is pivotally connected at 53 to a lever 54 that is pivotally mounted at 55 on wall 48. At its lower end this lever 54 has an angled end portion 56 which is adapted to be successively engaged by the arms of a spider 57 that'is fast on the rock shaft 25 (Figs. 5 and 7).

Mounted on wall 48 is a channeled guideway 58 in which is slidable a bar 59 thatcarries a pin 60. The pin 60 is adapted to be successively engaged by the arms ofthe spider 57. Provided in the bar 59 is a coin-receiving notch 63. Having one end pivotally mounted at 61 on the wall 4S is a stop lever 62, the other end 64 of which is aligned with the pin 60. If rock shaft 25 is urged counterclockwise (Fig. 7) when no coin is inserted into chute 46 one of the arms of the spider 57 engages the pin 60 and slides the bar 59 to the left (Fig. 7) thereby abutting the pin 60 against the end 64 of lever 62 and thus preventing further movement of shaft 25. When av coin 66 is inserted into chute 46, however, thercoin falls into the notch 63 in slide bar 59 and abuts a laterally extending ear 65 formed on lever 62 so that when the shaft 25 is rocked (counterclockwise Fig. 7) one'of the arms of the spider 57 engages the pin 60 and slides the bar 59 and coin 66 to the left (Fig. 7); thereby forcing the coin 66 under the ear 65 of lever 62 and raising the lever 62 which is thus pivoted counterclockwise, Fig. 7. The coin 66 is thus discharged from the notch 63 in slide bar 59 into a receptacle 67 and at the same time one or the cams 27 on the rock shaft 25 engages parts 24 and 44 and operates a dispensing unit 14 in the manner hereinbefore described.

Should a slug be inserted into the coin chute 46 it will be held by the magnet 49. The slug is dislodgedfrom the magnet by action of the sleeve 50 when the rock shaft is urged counterclockwise, Fig. 7; this movement or rock shaft 25 causing one of the arms of the spider 57 to abut the angled end 56 of lever 54 which is thereby pivoted counterclockwise, Fig. 7: This movement of lever 54 slides the link 52 and sleeve 56 to the left (Fig. 7) and the sleeve 50 dislodges the slug from the magnet 49.

Pivotally mounted on the wall 48 of the cablnet 10 is a spring-urged dog 68 which rides the teeth of a ratchet 69 on the shaft 25 to prevent clockwise movement of the rock shaft 25 and cams 27.v

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modiiication, without departing from the spirit of the invention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details or construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to vprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A vending machine comprising an articlestorage magazine, a tiltable article-dispensing unit at the bottom of'said magazine, said unit comprising an inclined article supporting shelf t and a normallythorizontal element below said shelf provided with slots, a pivotal ejeoting member arranged below said unit and including article-ejecting fingers having portions projecting upwardly Vthrough said slots alongside said shelf, a pivotally mounted lever having an end portion adapted to bear against and pivot said ejecting member, said element having a depending portion adapted to be depressed into engagement with the other end of said lever, a laterally extending lug on said element, a rock shaft, and a cam on said rock shaft adapted to engage said lug to tilt said dispensing unit and pivot said ej ecting member.

2. Avending machine comprising an articlestorage magazine, a tiltable dispensing unit at the bottomV of said magazine including an inclined article-supporting shelf and an element below said shelf provided With slots, a pivotal'ejecting member arranged below said element including article-ejecting fingers having portions projecting upwardly through said slots alongside said shelf, a pivotal lever having an end portion adapted to bear against and pivot said ejecting member, and means for operating said unit and ejecting member including a rock shaft and a cam thereon adapted to engage said element and tilt the same into engagement with the other end portion of said lever.

3. A vending machine comprising an articlestorage magazine, a tiltable dispensing unit at the bottom of said magazine including an inclined article-supporting shelf, a pivotal ejecting member arranged below said shelf and including article-ejecting fingers having portions projecting upwardly alongside said shelf, a pivotal lever having an end portion adapted to bear against and pivot said ejecting member, and means for operating said dispensing unit and ejeoting member including a rock shaft and a cam thereon adapted to engage said dispensing unit and tilt a portion thereof into engagement with the other end portion of said lever.

fl. A vending machine comprising an articlestorage magazine, a tiltable dispensing unit at the bottom of said magazine including an inclined article-supporting shelf, a pivotal ejecting member below said shelf including article-ejecting iingers having portions projecting upwardly alongside said shelf, a pivotal lever having an end portion adapted to bear against and pivot said ejecting member, a member pivotally mounted on the magazine having an inclined face and having an angled lower end portion adapted to project into the magazine above the lowermost article during the dispensing operation, a member having pivotal connection at its lower end with said unit and having an angled upper end adapted to ride said inclined face, and operating means including a rock shaft and a cam thereon adapted to engage said dispensing unit and tilt a portion thereof into engagement with the other end portion of said lever.

5. Avending machine comprising an articlestorage magazine, a tiltable article-dispensing unit at the bottom of said magazine including an inclined article-supporting shelf, a pivotal ejectingF member including article-ejecting ngers having portions movable alongside said shelf, a

pivotal lever operable by said dispensing unit to JOHN C. GURATH. PHILIP MACHUT. 

